1. Field of the Invention
A testing arrangement is provided for testing the electrical circuits of an assembly of terminal blocks arranged in side-to-side relation, each of the terminal blocks including two mutually-insulated collinearly-arranged horizontal bus bar sections that are normally electrically connected by first and second pairs of leaf spring contacts arranged above and below the bus bar sections, respectively. During the testing operation, the testing device may be arranged either above or below the assembly, and an insulating test plug on the testing device is inserted either vertically downwardly from above, or upwardly from below, the terminal block, thereby to disengage one pair of contacts. A dummy plug is vertically inserted in the opposite direction from the other side of the terminal block, thereby to disengage the other pair of contacts.
2. Description of Related Art
It has been proposed in the prior art to provide testing devices for testing the electrical circuits of an assembly of terminal blocks, wherein the testing device is normally arranged above the assembly. This is particularly true when the terminal block assembly is mounted on a mounting rail, for example, in a panel box. Since it is possible to mount the terminal block assembly in a wall opening, it is sometimes desired to test the electrical circuits from the lower surface of the assembly from beneath the wall and below the terminal block assembly.
An arrangement of that sort includes a terminal block assembly for the connecting a plurality of electrical conductors, and a testing device adapted for connection with terminal block assembly in order to test and measure electric variables that are associated with the electrical conductors, and thus with the electrical devices that are connected thereto. In so doing, measuring and testing procedures are carried out without a modification of the existing electrical circuit.
A continually increasing need for arrangements of that sort, for example in areas of automation, produces the demand for improved functions groups as well as for an enlarged area of use. The challenge of the present invention was therefore to provide an improved terminal block arrangement that could be tested from different locations.